[s1e14]: Brother Up

Kael took a breath, his own hand finding Elias’s arm. The fire in his eyes was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity. "Ready. Brother up."

Outside, the first black SUVs rolled onto the gravel. The rain continued to hammer, but inside the safehouse, the air went still. They didn't need a plan; they needed the promise.

Kael stopped. He looked at Elias—really looked at him. He saw the gray at Elias’s temples and the way his shoulder hitched from an old wound he’d taken while pulling Kael out of a burning transport. Elias had never asked for thanks. He had just "brothered up." [S1E14] Brother Up

"We can't just wait here, Eli," Kael snapped, his voice cracking like dry kindling. "The Syndicate is closing the perimeter. If we don’t move now, we’re buried."

Elias reached across the table, his hand gripping Kael’s forearm—a solid, grounding weight. "The deal was always the same, Kael. You get the future. I get the memories. That’s how we survive." Kael took a breath, his own hand finding Elias’s arm

"Let me hold some of it," Kael urged. "Whatever happens when that door kicks in... don't go out first. Don't be the hero this time. Just be my brother."

Across from him, Kael was pacing. Kael was the younger of the two—not by blood, but by the scars they both carried from the Siege of Oakhaven. Kael was the fire to Elias’s cold iron, and right now, the fire was spiraling. Brother up

"Ready?" Elias asked, the sound of the safety clicking off echoing in the small room.